Here's the next chapter! A lot's going on here. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: The Dragonball Franchise and Bleach, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original settings, characters, etc., belong to ME.
Chapter 19: A Sorrowful World
Vegeta practically manhandled Kira, streaking across the sky in five minutes flat; she was practically tossed onto the lawn of Capsule Corporations.
"Vegeta!?" Bulma shouted but he wasn't listening to her. Goku scratched his head in confusion.
"Hey, Kira-Chan, ain't you supposed to be in school?" After hearing about Kira's shinigami art school thing, he had tried to sneak in but was promptly kicked out. These shinigami sure were a secretive bunch!
"Your adoptive daughter and my son decided to have an all out brawl." Vegeta snorted.
Goku turned his head to Kira. "Eh? The heck happened, kiddo?"
"Why don't you ask future boy over there?" She huffed. "Apparently I'm guilty of a crime I've never committed!"
"Don't even retort back boy." Vegeta warned Mirai Trunks. "I am NOT breaking up another useless fight." He eyed Goku. "Since she wants so badly to beat someone up, I've decided to bring her with us."
"You don't get to decide what I do!" Kira barked at him.
"Geez Kira-Chan calm down." Goku frowned. "Vegeta..I don't think it's a good idea--"
Silent, Vegeta grabbed Kira by the shirt and practically tossed her into the Time Machine. The girl screamed as she crash landed into the metal interior.
"Are we going or not?" Vegeta was done with this mess.
Off to the future they went, the three Sayajins and one disgruntled shinigami in training. Upon arriving, Kira jumped out, nearly hurling her guts out. Who would have thought there was such a thing as time sickness anyway?
Gathering her bearings, she rose and felt it; a sense of dread, sadness, and death. The scenery before her conveyed such with the destroyed buildings and ground. There was a silence, a stillness that caused goosebumps to crawl up her arms.
It wasn't just a ghost townâit was a graveyard.
Her harsh words from before felt like lead on her tongue. This was Trunks's home? What the future would be like? She said so many horrible things to him!
"Not so tough now, are you?" She froze at the voice behind her. Mirai Trunks was giving her a slight glare. He spoke nothing more as he walked past her.
"Give her a break Trunks! Even I didn't know it was this bad." Goku approached. "Kira-Chan, when things get rough, you should stay back. Okay?"
Dumbly she nodded and followed behind him, still numb by the scenery around her.
Eventually they came across Mai, a black haired woman that knew Trunks. She took them to an underground bunker where the remains of humanity hunkered down. The space was littered with despair, weariness, and sunken faces; Kira could barely stand it. She hung back from the gathered crowd, choosing to sit against the walls protecting these innocent people. Leaning her head against the cold surface, she closed her eyes, wanting to be anywhere but here. When all this was over, she certainly deserved to apologize.
"Hey." She refused to acknowledge him because he would probably just gloat even more about how horrible his life was compared to her own.
"You've proved your point already." She turned her head. "Sorry, okay?"
He sat beside her and sighed. "I'm sorry too."
Whipping her head to future Trunks, she was aghast. What did he have to apologize for anyway?
"I don't know much about the shinigami, just what I've seen." He frowned. "I didn't know they had families." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have been so cross, you didn't know anything."
"How did it get so bad?" She asked and he sighed again.
"It's a long story, one we don't have time for." He grunted. "But, at least it won't happen in your time." He groaned. "I have a feeling my father forced you here because of me, that or to annoy Goku."
"I don't really interact with Vegeta much, but even I got to admit, this was a really lousy move on his part." She frowned. "I wish I knew what my dad, or mom was likeâ"
"Did they die?" He asked and she shrugged.
"According to my grandmother, they were eradicated from existence. Though, if my dad was any bit like my grandfather well..." She rolled her eyes. "And I don't even want to talk about my grandmother."
He laughed at that. "Well at least they aren't a stubborn Sayajin prince."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "My grandfather is the captain commander of the Shinigami army. Think of him as your dad only with an army at his beck and call."
He stuttered. "What? Seriously?"
She blew out some air. "So, I guess I'll stay down here when you guys go and fight that guy. I'll only get in the way."
Realizing the shift Trunks nodded. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea." There was a silence between. "I should get going." He rose. "Just, be careful."
"You too." She watched him join with Goku and Vegeta. Very soon the three headed out to battle.
Kira kept her distance from the people here, not really wanting to interact with them. She remained in her spot, practically ignoring everything around her.
That was when her sense felt it; a presence. Quickly she rose and brandished her sword, entering the darkened hallways. She didn't need the the people in the tunnels to freak out, thus she hopped whatever was there she would be able to deal with quickly and out of sight. Her senses dragged her deeper into the abyss until nothing remained from the human bunker.
"Come on out, I know you're there." She called to the darkness. It sure was hard to see in here.
A small light erupted in front of her, causing her to jump back. The light fell to the floor softly, it's glow portraying a gentle shine around her.
"You should not be here." Kira turned to the voice and a person approached. She nearly dropped her katana in shock.
It was like staring into a mirror. The person was identical to her save for the black shinigami robes and the hardened facial expression. Those brown eyes had definitely seen many battles before. This must be her future self.
Thinking the worst, Kira readied her sword. There was no way she was letting this version of herself near those innocent people!
"We do not harm the living." Future Kira spoke the mantra. "Drop your sword. I am not here for a skirmish."
"Then what are you here for?" She asked.
"I am waiting to see if anymore souls can be spared from what is to come." Future Kira explained. "I am sure that boy, Trunks, told you of the misfortunes here."
Kira relaxed a bit but still kept her guard up. Down went the sword.
"It was true, we shinigami did in fact commence in combat with the one the mortals call Black." Future Kira explained. "However, we were forced to retreat when the realization hit."
"Realization?" Kira asked.
"A sense of sorts that all Shinigami have." Future Kira stated. "We knew this world was slated for extinction by fate. We can not come between fate's decisions. We did, however, stay for as long as possible to save as many spirits as we could, allowing them the chance for reincarnation." 2 sets of brown eyes made contact. "Reincarnation is better than destruction."
"Destruction?"
"Trust me, you do not want to be here when that happens." Future Kira told her. "Most of the squads left but I remain in the hopes I might be able to save more souls."
"Wait, I'm confused. You're not here to save the people, you're here to save their souls?"
"Yes." Future Kira nodded. "It is what we shinigami do. It is confusing I know, you will understand in time."
"Well...If you're here then why don't you just go and help anyway?" Kira asked. "I mean, it can't hurt to help a little bit."
"Even if I could, I would not be able to." Future Kira said. "We are not strong enough."
"The black wave. It's plenty strong!" Kira defended.
Future Kira went cold. "You should NEVER use that attack. It is not worth it."
Frowning again, Kira asked, "What do you mean?"
Future Kira stared at her. "By you wielding a sword, I can only assume you have been told of Zanpakutou. Have you learned of Bankai?"
Kira remembered that word, Bankai. Rukia had told her about it in passing. It was a shinigami's ultimate form, their ultimate power.
"When a shinigami is unable wield a Zanpakutou, they are left with using their life force to fight." Future Kira retorted. "That black wave we use, it is not powerâIt is our very being. Using it too much, too often, will destroy our very soul. Tell me, how many times have you used it?"
"Twice."
"That means two years of your life have been taken from you." Future Kira stated. "That is, essentially, what has happened."
Kira froze. So, if she continued to use the black wave, she would be killing herself?
"You must find our Zanpakutou spirit." Future Kira told her. "Even here, in the future, I have yet to locate it. Nothing has ever called me to its side." She frowned. "Thus, even now, I still cannot fight lest I risk using up my last days of life."
"Last...Days?" Kira asked her and her future self nodded.
"I have but days to live." Future Kira stated. "I wish to use them to help in the only way I can." She stared hard at Kira. "Find the spirit, our Zanpakutou. Only then will you be able to prevent yourself from dying."
Next Time: Will to Live
